Are you Asleep in His Word? 9/9 13 revisited.
Have you grown complacent with your life in Christ? In other words, are you going through the motions of being a Christian or are you on fire for Jesus?
Do you sleep
through your Bible reading? I don't mean literally sleeping but are you just
reading over the words to say you did it or are you relishing it, chewing on it
a bit and finding new purpose or direction in what you read each day?
I am also sending Onesimus,
a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people. He and Tychicus will
tell you everything that’s happening here. Colossians 4:8-10
Some of the little-known people in the Word of God make the
biggest impact on someone's life. Onesimus, who helped in the ministry
eventually came to Christ while he was n prison with Paul.
Eutychus is another one of the guys in the Bible that
are little known. He worked all day then went to listen to Paul preach. The
rooms the people were in were crowded because they had to meet on the side. Eutychus sat in a window seat and tried
to stay alert and get what was being said. Some studies claim he got lazy;
others claim the air was so thick from people that it was easy to fall asleep.
Whatever the reason Oni fell asleep and literally fell out of the window to his
death. The miracle that happens right after this shows me that he was truly a
believer and probably was trying to stay awake. Paul came down from the room
where they were studying and brought Eutychus back to life! What an amazing
miracle! We can be sure the young man
did not sit in windows after that, and that he followed Christ all the days of
his life!
How can we stay
on fire as appose to falling asleep in the Word?
1- Stay alert by
staying prayed up! Pray without ceasing. (scripture) Keep on top of what you
are reading by praying before you read and asking God to bring it to life to
you.
2-Step it up a
notch! Read through scriptures that build a fire in your heart to share the
good news you read! If you are thinking on the words you read through the day
you will not forget to walk in the Word of God!
You will thrive on it, share it, and sow it. Tell someone what you were
reading this morning, even if its an unbeliever because sometimes our
excitement is just what is needed to perk the curiosity of someone who does not
know Jesus. Which brings me to the next thing...
3- Lead someone
to Christ by using the scriptures you read today! That may mean you need to
read through the New Testament; Acts, Romans, Timothy; they all have sparks
that will build that fire within your heart and mind and inevitably jump out of
your mouth like a wildfire!
They
will give you the desire to do the following three things.
a)Get into a
study group that dissects the Word and teaches what is being said to today's
people.
b)Walk the walk
you have begun as a true believer not just someone who claims it but someone
who lives the Word!
c)Share Jesus
with someone. There is truly no other thrill that can cause you to feel like
you really are on fire than to share what God has done in your life through
Christ Jesus. Once you open your mouth and share of His love, His direction and
His hope in your life things are going to start burning!Before you know it you
will be on fire for Christ and sharing with whomever you speak with just what
God has done!
Just follow this
advice.
If you do not feel like reading today, do it anyway!
If you do not
feel like studying to show yourself approved; do it anyway!
If you do not
think you can tell someone about Jesus, maybe because you think you do not know
enough to do this; go back to the first one and read, then study, then share! It’s
as easy as “Guess what I read today? “ or “Hey today when I was reading God's
Word....” Or even “Wow, God has been
doing so much in my life!”
Just do it!
The next three
questions are the most important.
What are you
waiting for? - Are you waiting to have to study? Are you looking to someone to
come and push you or force you to study the Word?
Who are you
looking for? Are you looking for a friend to go to the study with? I can tell
you you will make friends in the study! Not just the people in the room but the
people in the Word will come to life before you as you dig in deeper and really
study the Word today.
So, when are you
going to step up and step out for Jesus?
Why not today?
Let's make it a plan to pick up a bulletin at church or go online and find a
time or a date to study the Word. Maybe you want to pick up a book at a local bookstore
or a devotional book that will help you spark the flame of study and walking the life in Christ more lively?
Or maybe you do
want to call a friend and ask them to come over and just read through the Bible
with you on a regular basis.
My friend Suzie
and I did this years ago, and it grew into a Bible Study group! We have friends
today who were an extension of that study group! We gathered together sometimes
shared some cookies or a delicious beverage as we devoured the Word of God and
talked about how to use it in our lives or how God was using it in our lives! It
really does not take much to gather a group, or one or two friends. Cause God's
Word says; where two or more are gathered together … there I am in the midst of
them!
Call a friend today or make plans to follow through on going to the study at
your church, or listen on the radio, internet or DVD but step out, step up, and
start the flame so you can share it with the lost.
Dear Heavenly
Father, help us to spark the flame in our hearts and cause the fire of Your
Holy Spirit to flow out from us to those around us and draw them in to Your
kingdom, in Jesus' name, amen.
Suggested
Reading: Philemon 1:1-25, Colossians 4:1-18, Acts 20:1-37 and Psalm 57:1-11